A bill calling for official recognition of two types of treatment for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, sponsored by Texas State Senator Chris Harris R-Arlington)* – a chronic Lyme survivor - was passed by both houses of the Texas legislature on May 26 and sent to the governor.

The bill – SB 1360 – notes that the number of Lyme and related tick-borne diseases has continued to increase in Texas. “However,” says Sen Harris, “many Texas medical practitioners are unfamiliar with the symptoms and treatments. SB 1360 will assist doctors in recognizing these symptoms and treatments through Continued Medical Education courses.”

“There are two types of recognized standards of care for treating Lyme disease: the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS),” he explains. “With most Texas doctors using IDSA treatment [short-term antiobiotic treatment only], patients who prefer the ILADS treatment [extended antibiotic treatment for persistent or chronic Lyme] are forced to leave Texas to receive the long-term antibiotic treatment.”

"As a Lyme disease survivor,” says Sen Harris, “I know how important the correct treatment can be. This bill is a vital step forward in properly treating those who have this disease.”

Sen. Harris says he was severely affected by the disease, but “got a lucky break.” His doctor, constrained by a disciplinary board that limited antibiotic use for tick-borne illness to 1 month or less, arranged for 17 physicians to take turns writing prescriptions for Sen. Harris’s treatment.

The bill also states that in the event a physician or nurse is investigated regarding their choice of clinical care, their participation in these courses will be considered.

i think the Senator is being rather coy in saying that "he got lucky". The fact he is the Senator for Texas went a long way towards his getting treatment, the type of which is denied to other American citizens, which made him well.
For the sake of ALL Americans, who are all equal, these powerful people of the IDSA, CDC, etc etc should be investigated for their ignoring the mountainous evidence that their Lyme Disease Guidelines are out of date and severely flawed.
I hope to see Senator Harris at the forefront of the battle, as he is living proof of the error of the guidelines. His doctors used ILADS guidelines to get him well....will he deny the same guidelines to his fellow Americans? I pray to God that he does not.

I was living in New York in a endemic area for Lyme disease and was still met with a huge resistance from medical doctors to recognize and treat my Chronic Lyme.. My heart goes out to my fellow Texans if they get this disease it will be a horrible experience for sure to get a diagnosis..

Dr's are not taught anything at all about Lyme in med school and they only research they do is from the corrupt out dated Lyme guidelines from the IDSA which are known to protect special interest and insurance companies from paying out too much money for long term treatments and IV and Piccs which can be very expensive..

Will B the discoverer of Bb said it's a shameful affair before he died and went on to say in the last 30 years they have done nothing to improve tick borne infections health care and research.. ABC admitted there could be as many as a million new cases yearly now and it's high time to get it right and treat the bite and change the bogus Lyme guidelines once and for all.. thanks